B-17 bomber Aluminum Overcast taxis in after a flight.
CULLMAN – Cullman’s Veterans Day Celebration kicked off bright and early this morning at Sportsman Lake Park, with the opening ceremony including special guests Alabama Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey, Cullman Mayor Max A. Townson and Cullman County Commission Chairman Kenneth Walker.
Events featured at the park included a Civil War Living History Camp, artillery firings, a Huey helicopter, military vehicles, a rock wall, a weapons display, a drone flight simulation and local veterans’ organization booths.
“Today, as we celebrate Veterans Day in Cullman, let us recommit ourselves to America,” said Ivey. “There is no greater reflection of a nation than how it honors and respects its veterans.” Ivey says part of the reason that she is so passionate about veterans is because her father served in World War II.
“We won’t fail as a nation because of a terrorist attack or a foreign power attack. This country will fail from within because we fail to recognize the full responsibility that comes with independence and citizenship,” continued Ivey, turning her attention to the upcoming elections, also adding that she has full faith that the American people will make the right decision and that the will of the American people will be respected.
Ivey concluded by sharing that she was invited to come to Cullman on Saturday by two personal friends and she was glad to be in Cullman to help celebrate area veterans.
Townson thanked Ivey for coming and the Cullman Elks Lodge for hosting the event.
Echoing Ivey’s sentiments about next Tuesday, Townson said, “I have faith in the American people. I’m very positive; that’s my outlook.”
A free lunch was made available to veterans and their families; as well as information about various veterans’ groups in the area.
Meanwhile, Cullman area veterans and all those who support them were invited to the second location of Saturday’s Veterans Day Celebrations- Cullman Regional Airport. The site was alive with activity all day: vintage and modern aircraft, vintage cars, motorcycles and military vehicles were all on display. Skydive Alabama, based at the airport, conducted jumps periodically, including tandem jumps for the public. The all-female jazz quintet Ladies' Night Out performed WWII-era music, as did the Wallace State Community College Jazz Band. C & R Gun & Pawn Shop sponsored an impressive display of WWII Allied and Axis firearms.
Visitors got the opportunity to meet and hear firsthand the stories of people who helped see this nation through that war. WWII veterans were interviewed, and Linda Morgan, widow of famed Memphis Belle bomber pilot Col. Robert Morgan, was present. Representatives of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), organizations for lineal descendants of Revolutionary War Soldiers, invited folks to remember the whole historic spectrum of America's military history and heritage.
Walking the grounds, one got the occasional sense of transportation to a different time. Walking among 1930s and 40s automobiles while big band and jazz music drifted in the air, you could happen upon one or several of Wallace State's history students dressed in authentically styled WWII-era military and civilian clothing. You could find yourself face to face with one of numerous incarnations of "Rosie the Riveter" who came for a forum and costume contest that celebrated the contributions of women to the war effort. You could walk through a door into the airport terminal and find yourself in an Allied bomber mission briefing room.
Then you could walk outside and look up.
Being an event at the airport, of course aircraft would figure prominently. Military and civilian planes, helicopters, and even experimental aircraft were on display for close-up viewing. Local radio-controlled plane enthusiasts brought out flyable scale models of period aircraft. "Yaks," Cold-War-era Russian training aircraft used by the Soviets and China, put on aerial demonstrations. For a price, a few visitors even got the opportunity to take off and ride in a 2-seat P-51 Mustang, one of the most famous and successful U.S. fighters of WWII.
And there was the big one. One of the biggest thrills for many visitors was a 72-year old veteran named "Aluminum Overcast." She's a WW2 bomber, a B-17G built in 1944, one of only 13 flyable B-17s in the world today. On the bus ride in (provided by Cullman County Rural Transportation (CARTS)) from a remote parking area, one eager visitor was overheard announcing:
"I walked out in my yard this morning, and a B-17 flew over; and I said to myself, I gotta go see that!"
And she doesn't just fly; she gives scenic tours. Visitors could purchase tickets to take one of several flights conducted through the course of the day. Veterans were especially encouraged to fly, and some area WWII veterans even had their tickets provided by local donors as a special Veterans Day honor.
Russ Morris, a member of the bomber's support crew, said that of the flyable B-17s, only three fly regularly; and the Aluminum Overcast leads the pack in public flights. It was restored and returned to flight in 1987, and now spends an exhausting 10 months per year on tour with crew members from all over the country. Flight tickets aren't cheap, but Morris emphasized that this is not a money-making operation.
"All team members are volunteers," he said, "Even the pilots are volunteers."
Proceeds from tickets go toward the hefty cost of keeping a 72-year old bomber in the air, and toward supporting Young Eagles, a mentoring program for youth interested in aviation careers.
The Cullman Veterans Day Celebration was until recently sponsored by the local post of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). As the average age of its membership rose, the tough task of putting on such a big event began to take its toll. So last year the local Cullman Elks Lodge 1609 took the reins.
Second-in-command of the Lodge and Director in Charge of the event is Charlie Craven. He is an energetic but busy man, and he spent much of our conversation talking about the many contributors that made his job easier, becoming frustrated that he couldn't name them all at once. He pointed out the various groups with displays, as well as city and county entities and many local sponsors and donors.
"One or two soldiers can't fight a war," he stated, "It takes an army."
When asked why he and the Elks took on the task, Craven answered, "It means so much to me to keep the spirit alive, to do what I can when I can for these veterans." He says he hopes the event honors those who served in the past, and encourages all attendees to "think about helping the veterans who are coming home now."
Approximately 8,000-10,000 visitors were expected to attend the dual events at the airport and Sportsman Lake Park. Though the full event was only on Saturday, Aluminum Overcast stayed to offer rides on Sunday morning as well.
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